A Single Step
by Mary B. Wolf
Summary: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But what does a journey of a hundred or so miles begin with?


Um, hi. This is my first Orphen fic. I have no idea where it came from, but I have a vague idea of where it's going (mainly, I want to explore Orphen) and I shouldn't even be writing it right now because _I have other things to write first dammit_. Stupid insistent plot bunnies. So this is going to remain marked as incomplete for now, but I'm desperately trying to prioritise, so this'll be mostly on the back burner and will almost definitely be re-written at some point, provided I can get off my lazy writerly ass and do so at some point.

Anywhoodle, don't own, don't sue. Let me know what you think, please? This is an extremely rough first draft and it's so disorganised. I'm just trying to get a feel for the characters and setting(s) right now. Also, it's two A.M. and I should be sleeping because I swore to myself that I'd be up at eight to go apply for a job at a local gas station - and y'all don't care about that. Moving on.

One last thing: I come from the (incredibly pervy) KakaSaku fandom, so you can expect moderate amounts of smutty material here and there. (Of the het Orphen/Cleo variety. I might include other pairings later, but I think this is going to be mostly genfic. I hope.) You have been warned.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>"Master? Cleo?" Majic's voice sliced neatly through the fog in Orphen's brain and, as always, that annoyed the hell out of him. A split second later, he was intensely grateful for the interruption because Cleo was pulling away from his mouth and the look she was leveling at his hand, which was cupping her breast (it fit perfectly in his palm, and he could feel her stiff nipple through her clothes), was nothing short of murderous. He snatched it away but otherwise refused to move.<p>

Thank God Leki had wandered after Lycoris and her floating pink thing - Pam, or whatever.

"Master?" Majic had taken on a more urgent tone. "Cleo? Lycoris is back and she's ready to go! Where are you guys?" The last was said on a weary sigh and his apprentice tromped noisily away from their shadowed niche. Really, one of these days, he was going to have to hammer some stealth into that boy.

But for now...

"Just what do you think you're doing, you nitwit?" he hissed at Cleo, who was still trapped between his body and the wall. He had admit, he kind of liked the feel of her there. Perhaps a bit _too_ much, as he discovered when she squirmed violently in protest - and he fought to keep from squirming with her. He didn't budge, though, and Cleo turned her face away, eyes closed and pert little nose up in the air. The movement brought to his attention a brilliant red spot on the base her throat. Orphen distinctly remembered leaving that mark.

"What do you mean what am _I_ doing?" Cleo snapped. "What are _you_ doing? You're the one who kissed me first - you're the one who shoved me into this little nook! It's your fault, you heartless, cold-blooded sorcerer!"

He was guilty on all counts, not that he would ever admit that to anyone, much less Cleo Everlasting. Unable to come up with a decent comeback - a first for him against Cleo, one that pissed him off more than anything else - he shoved away from her with near-violent force, cursing himself viciously for missing her warmth the second it was gone, hating himself for craving the tight fit of her body against his as he stalked off to find Majik and Lycoris.

He didn't really want to get on the road, but since he couldn't do what he _actually_ wanted (which was go back to Cleo, take her to his bed, strip them both naked, and push deep into her hot little body to bring them both to oblivion), he figured traveling (where Majic, Lycoris, Leki, and, undoubtedly, the trolls would be around to keep him in line should the shards of his sanity slip... again) would be the best option. Now to just get to walking. He was set on finding his other companions when Cleo's crystal voice knifed through him.

"You're a real piece of work, Orphen, you know that, right?" she snapped, storming after him. "Conceited, arrogant asshole..."

Ah, insults about his character. They were back on familiar ground now. This, he could handle.

* * *

><p>Master and Cleo's angry, hushed argument preceded them into the bedroom the girls shared, where he was helping Lycoris pack her suitcase while they waited for the other two to get there. Several things struck Majic when they entered the room, the first being that his teacher looked disheveled. This wasn't unusual in and of itself, but the manner in which he was intrigued him. Orphen's hair was messier than normal, his red bandana set at a strange angle, and his belt was twisted too far around his waist.<p>

Next, Cleo seemed... mussed. Now, Cleo was a bit of a princess-y girl, even when they were on the road. She fussed with just about everything - her hair, her clothes, her things, Leki, and sometimes even Majic or Lycoris - and she always looked presentable. To Cleo, "presentable" meant "unwrinkled, tucked-in clothing and smooth hair." Her shirt was untucked from her pants (but only in the front) and her hair was tangled, one of the curls crushed against her temple. She was also frantically buttoning the top buttons of her shirt.

Finally, Orphen and Cleo's argument was _hushed._ Neither of them had a quiet bone in their body and their vicious, deafeningly loud spats had gotten them kicked out of more than one inn (and then there was that one memorable time when a particularly nasty fight had gotten all four of them and an innocent bystander banned from an entire town for life, mortifying Majic and making Lycoris so weepily apologetic to everyone around them that Orphen had snapped on her, too). He didn't think they knew what an inside voice even _was_, let alone _possessed_ one.

All of this was so off-kilter. He glanced at Lycoris, but she seemed oblivious to anything but the crease in her spare dress.

"What are you arguing about?"

The words were out of his mouth before he could even think, and he cringed immediately, knowing that, because of the black look on Master's and Cleo's faces, he was in for some serious pain. To his surprise (and immense relief), all that happened was twin glares - one a brilliant stormy blue, the other a deep wine red - pinning him in place like he was a frightened rabbit. He honestly wasn't sure which one scared him more.

"Shut up, Majic," they shouted in tandem and then glared at each other before looking away and crossing their arms with a huff.

Finally, Master let his arms fall to his sides and glanced at Lycoris just as she snapped the clasps on her suitcase closed.

"Ready to go?" he demanded of all of them.

"Yessir, Mr. Orphen," Lycoris declared cheerfully. "Mr. Majic helped me pack of the last of my things-"

"Good," Master interrupted, stalking out the door. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Cleo had rarely been so confused in her life. Orphen might ridicule her for not understanding most situations, but that was his mistake. Beneath her bubble-brained appearance lay a sharp, canny mind - when she chose to put it to use. She usually knew exactly what was going on and she chose to listen to her heart and do the right thing, even if the right thing also happened to be the <em>stupid<em> thing.

But this situation... it baffled her. She had no idea what had caused it or even why she'd let it happen. Orphen had called her some insulting name or other and she'd spit one back in his face. Soon enough, their faces had been inches apart as they screamed at each other about inane things. Her temper responded violently, as ever, and she'd been thankful she didn't have her sword on her, because she would have gutted the bastard - not that he didn't deserve it, but he was Majic's teacher and even Lycoris cared about him.

Then, for no apparent reason, Orphen's mouth had crashed against hers and she'd melted and his hands had wandered-

A warm flush swept through Cleo as she remembered just _where_ his hands had wandered and she stopped in the middle of the road as her belly clenched with pleasure. Surprisingly enough, even to herself, she didn't regret making out with Orphen. He was a damn good kisser and he wasn't shy about touching her, like the boys at her school had been. She wouldn't mind doing it again. She _really_ wouldn't have minded continuing...

"Cleo?" Lycoris's soft voice said beside her. "Cleo, is everything okay?"

"Huh?" she asked, drawn abruptly out of her fantasy.

"I asked if everything was okay," Lycoris repeated.

"Oh," Cleo laughed, waving a hand. "Everything's fine. Why?"

Lycoris's big brown eyes stared up at her with geniune concern. "You were just standing there," she said. "And your face was all red. I was worried."

"I was just thinking," Cleo said, and before Lycoris could make more small talk, she glanced ahead of them, where Majic was hunched over with the weight of their bags and Orphen was walking in front of him without looking back. "We should hurry and catch up to them. C'mon, Lycoris." She broke into a jog and caught up with Orphen and Majic, Leki trailing at her heels. Her little sister followed slowly after, dragging her suitcase with her.

She still felt off-balance around Orphen, but she was determined not to let him know that. "So, Orphen," she began brightly, "where are we going?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with what seemed like disdain, but he answered her anyway. "We're going to the village where I was born," he said, sounding almost angry. Cleo wanted to ask him why, but he sped up his pace just slightly and she didn't follow.

* * *

><p>Lycoris missed her home. After saying goodbye to Cleo, Mr. Orphen, and Mr. Majic, she'd settled in a small village about two days' carriage-ride away from Totokanta. She'd gotten a permanent sleeping room at first, in the small inn at the center of town. The sweet old woman who owned the place had given her work to earn her keep but in her spare time, Lycoris had searched for a paying job. She'd found clerical work in a small, family-owned insurance company that paid well and she'd moved out of the inn after seven months and into a small, tidy house of her very own.<p>

The next day, Cleo, Mr. Orphen, and Mr. Majic had knocked on her door for an unnanounced visit and she'd somehow been talked into joining them on their latest journey. The destination was unknown to all but Orphen, but that was hardly new, and Lycoris felt more at home with the three of them camping on the side of the road than she did by herself in her house and the campfire stew she cooked every night and served with stale bread tasted better than the roasted chicken and vegetables she'd made for them the night they'd stayed with her.

Okay, she admitted to herself. She kind of missed things like roasted chicken and vegetables.

It was strange, though, to be travelling without Pam, even though she could now remember a time without it, and she was just waiting for the trolls' first appearance.

Even though she loved being on the open road with her closest friends and family, she couldn't help but miss creature comforts like her bed and her bathtub.

Her suitcase banged painfully against her shins as she caught up with Majic, who was trailing somewhat dejectedly after Mr. Orphen and Cleo, who seemed to be resolutely ignoring each other. Majic was sagging under the weight of the others' luggage, and a pang of sympathy and anger swept through her for him. It wasn't fair for them to make him their pack mule, but it wasn't her place to complain on his behalf. So she decided to try to take his mind off his burden with small talk.

"Hello, Mr. Majic," she said pleasantly.

Majic laughed. "You don't have to call me 'mister,'" he answered. "After all we've been through together, it's just Majic."

Lycoris laughed. "Okay," she said, then, trying it out, "Majic."

He beamed at her, a bright, friendly smile. "So, how is it, being out on the road with us again?"

"Nostalgic," she sighed, brushing one brown braid over her shoulder. "Do you have any idea where we're going?"

"No," Majic said, frowning slightly. "All Master said was he needed to figure out where he came from. Next thing I knew, we were at the Everlasting manor to get Cleo."

"I wonder what that means," Lycoris pondered.

"I have no idea," Majic answered.


End file.
